Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 360 Calculation
Zhang Guoli's ingenious suggestion immediately drew enthusiastic applause from the audience.

At the Feitian Awards ceremony, if you get to go on stage to announce the winners, regardless of whether you are invited by the organizing committee, it is a rare opportunity for exposure. You might even be noticed by a director or producer in the audience.

“Originally, I planned to choose one of the six nominees to come on stage and announce the award with me. But then I thought, what if she wasn’t the one who won? That would be a bit cruel.”

The director then panned the camera across the six nominees for the Outstanding Actress Award: Hai Qing, Jiang Wenli, Chi Peng, Yan Bingyan, Cao Xiwen, and Chen Jin.

Zhang Guoli spoke eloquently: "According to convention, I should invite a highly respected senior to the stage, because they represent professionalism and authority."

But today, I want to invite a young actress, because they symbolize the future and hope of the industry.

These words piqued the curiosity of the audience, but some astute individuals, having heard rumors circulating within the industry, already knew the answer.

"Speaking of young actors, we have to mention a group full of youthful energy in the film and television industry recently: the '85 Flowers'!"

Zhang Guoli cleverly introduced the topic, saying, "They are all outstanding among the new generation of actresses, and they have bright futures."

Considering their ages, the post-85 actresses are precisely the successors to these nominees. Perhaps in a few years, they will take the baton and stand on the Feitian Award stage.

When the name "85 Flowers" was mentioned, everyone present immediately understood who Zhang Guoli wanted to invite to announce the results.

Currently, there are five celebrities in the entertainment industry who are generally recognized as being born in 85: Liu Yifei, Liu Shishi, Yang Mi, Wang Luodan, and Lü Yi, who became very popular in the first half of the year for starring in "The Temptation to Go Home".

At tonight's Feitian Awards ceremony, only two actresses born in the 85s, Liu Shishi and Wang Luodan, were present. It was obvious to everyone that Zhang Guoli would invite Liu Shishi to the stage.

As expected, Zhang Guoli greeted her with a smile and said affectionately, "Shishi, my wife Deng Jie is a big fan of 'Scarlet Heart' and a loyal fan of yours. You have to give me face today and come up on stage to announce the prize with me."

Facing the camera, Liu Shishi smiled shyly and waved her hand gently, politely declining Zhang Guoli's offer.

Zhang Guoli spoke enthusiastically and sincerely, saying, "Shishi is a little shy. Let's all give her a round of applause and cheer her on. As a traffic queen with 30 million followers on Weibo, you can't be shy!"

The audience erupted in applause instantly!

At this moment, Liu Jiang, the director of "A Beautiful Era of Daughter-in-Law", who was sitting in the first row, leaned slightly and talked in a low voice with Guan Hu, the director of "Yimeng".

The two were good friends because they were both graduates of the Beijing Film Academy and both directors.

“Zhang Guoli is being far too attentive to Liu Shishi.” General Liu disapproved of Zhang Guoli’s behavior. “Even if Tengda is wealthy and powerful, they should still be mindful of their behavior in this situation.”

Guan Hu curled his lip and snorted: "The entertainment industry is booming these days. Zhang Guoli wants to be a capitalist but doesn't want to take any risks. He's fickle and opportunistic. There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

"Is it true that Huayi Brothers is going to invest in his Changsheng Film & Television, as rumored in the industry?"

Guan Hu nodded slightly, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes, and introduced to Liu Jiang: "Huayi is preparing to invest in Changsheng Film and Television at a valuation of 3.6 million yuan, a premium of 35 times!"

Liu Jiang gasped, his face filled with disbelief: "3.6 million! What a deal! There's no such thing as a free lunch. Zhang Guoli will definitely pay a huge price!"

“That’s right!” Guan Hu explained, “Chang Sheng Film & Television needs to achieve a net profit after tax of no less than 3000 million yuan for five consecutive years starting from 2013, and the profit must increase by 10% each year.”

If the target is not met, Zhang Guoli will have to make up the difference in cash out of his own pocket. But if the performance target is met, Changsheng Film & Television will be ready to go public!

“These performance targets won’t be easy to meet.” After some deliberation, Liu Jiang understood the immense performance pressure Zhang Guoli would face after Huayi’s investment.

“That’s right!” Guan Hu looked meaningfully at the stage. “Zhang Guoli also knows that the pressure is great, but he doesn’t want to give up the opportunity to become a capital investor. So he thought he would compare prices from different investors and maybe find an investor with more favorable terms than Huayi.”

"Tengda! So that's what he was planning." Liu Jiang suddenly realized that the only company with more power than Huayi, the first listed private film and television company, was Tengda Culture!
Compared to turning one's life around into capital, what does saying a few flattering words and pleasing the richest man's wife matter?

Guan Hu shook his head: "Tengda's money isn't so easy to get! Last month, Jiang Wenli's group in the Northwest Circle planned to set up a company and also wanted Tengda Culture to invest strategically."

As a result, Liu Rong, who had just been transferred from the Southern Cinema Line, flatly refused. Learning from this experience, Zhang Guoli wanted to find an intermediary, presumably hoping to establish a connection with Liu Shishi.

"But as far as I know, Liu Shishi never interferes in Tengda's affairs, so Zhang Guoli's efforts this time will probably be in vain."

Guan Hu disagreed: "If things work out, great; if not, there's no loss. Why not get on the good side of getting close to the richest man's wife?"

Over there, Liu Shishi, unable to refuse the enthusiastic invitation, gracefully stepped onto the stage amidst applause from Zhang Guoli and the entire audience.

The leading lady, dressed in an elegant cheongsam, exuded grace and charm, smiling warmly as she said, "Good evening, everyone. I am Liu Shishi. It is an honor to be invited by Mr. Zhang Guoli to participate in the award ceremony for Outstanding Actress!"

Zhang Guoli smiled brightly: "Shishi, I wonder if you've seen the works of these six nominees?"

"I watched 'Golden Wedding' starring you and Teacher Wenli. Teacher Wenli's performance was exceptional and she is a role model for me."

Zhang Guoli chuckled and joked, "Then I have to thank you on behalf of my wife! Wenli, look how much the representatives of young actors like your performance."

You must continue your efforts and strive to create more excellent works. Wenli, my wife, where are you sitting? Stand up so I can see you.

In the first row of the audience, Jiang Wenli slowly stood up, put her hands together, and looked like she was begging for mercy, which made the whole audience burst into laughter.

Host Dong Qing cleverly interjected to liven up the atmosphere: "Teacher Guoli, do you still consider yourself and Teacher Wenli to be on your fiftieth wedding anniversary?"

The person he loved in his nominated film, "Happiness Knocks on the Door," is Sun Chun, and Sun Chun is here tonight too.

Zhang Guoli gestured exaggeratedly and joked, "Sun Chun is the third party."

The venue instantly transformed into a sea of ​​joy. As the laughter and applause gradually subsided, Zhang Guoli continued, "Shishi, besides Wenli's plays, have you seen any of the other actors' works?"

The top sister shook her head slightly, her frankness surprising.

Zhang Guoli looked slightly surprised: "You've only seen Wenli's TV dramas?"

The eldest sister nodded slightly, her straightforwardness admirable.

"It seems Shishi is a loyal fan of Wenli." Zhang Guoli quickly smoothed things over, "The acting profession is very busy. Sometimes they film from dawn till dusk, so it's really hard to find time to sit in front of the TV and watch dramas."

Then she changed the subject again, "As everyone knows, Shishi's husband, Mr. Song, is a famous writer and screenwriter. I'm just curious to ask one more question."

I wonder if someone with Mr. Song's exceptional artistic talent would even consider the works of the nominees?

Liu Shishi smiled faintly: "To be honest, my husband has never liked watching TV dramas since he was a child."

Zhang Guoli was taken aback, then took a breath and asked, "So Mr. Song doesn't watch TV dramas? Doesn't he watch the works he writes himself?" The woman smiled and explained, "It's not that he doesn't watch any, but he really only watches a handful. As far as I can remember, he's only watched 'The Old Three Kingdoms'."

Another one is "Da Ming Dynasty 1566," starring Chen Baoguo and Huang Zhizhong. My husband absolutely loves this drama.

Quite coincidentally, the winners of this year's Feitian Awards for Outstanding Actor are Chen Baoguo and Huang Zhizhong.

Zhang Guoli was skeptical because the drama "Da Ming Dynasty 1566" was not well-known and had extremely poor ratings when it was broadcast.

"Shishi, you wouldn't be saying this on purpose just to please the two TV Kings, would you? That's not acceptable."

When talking about her beloved husband, Liu Shishi's pretty face beamed with happiness as she recounted: "My husband really loves this drama, praising it as the pinnacle of political intrigue and historical dramas. He has watched the whole series at least five times."

I watched the scenes in the drama, especially the ones where the three emperors interrogate Hai Rui and the Jiajing Emperor discuss the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, dozens of times. I even watched them many times myself.

The fact that the richest man is so fond of "Da Ming Dynasty 1566" has made everyone at the scene eager to see what's so special about this TV series that has captivated the richest man.

Even Chen Baoguo and Huang Zhizhong looked surprised, not expecting Song Ci to praise their already "flop" work so highly.

Seeing that Liu Shishi's expression did not seem to be fake, Zhang Guoli had no choice but to follow her lead and say, "I can't wait to go back and see the work that Mr. Song is so fascinated by."

Now, let's get back to the main topic: the Best Actress award will be announced soon.

The two turned around and their eyes fell on the electronic screen.

"Teacher Guoli, I'll handle the earlier parts, and you can handle the lottery draw later."

As Liu Shishi spoke, she reached out and tapped the screen. The image changed, and two golden envelopes appeared before everyone's eyes, radiating light.

"Alright! It's definitely a double yolk. Shishi, you can draw the numbers now. Let's not bother two people at once." Zhang Guoli gestured for Liu Shishi to continue drawing the numbers.

"My heart is beating so fast, please be understanding, why don't you draw the lottery yourself?"

"It's not my place to be considerate of you; that's Mr. Song's turn. Don't hesitate, open it!" After saying that, Zhang Guoli took a step back slightly and asked the top female contestant to handle the much-anticipated lottery draw.

Seeing this, Liu Shishi stopped refusing, took a deep breath, and opened the first electronic envelope.

Congratulations, Haiqing!

Hai Qing, beaming with joy, slowly rose, turned around, and bowed to the audience in thanks.

Li Yong, with a strong voice, said loudly, "There is still one spot left. Let's wait and see."

Liu Shishi pointed her slender finger at the screen again: "It's Teacher Wenli!"

Dong Qing offered her congratulations in her uniquely gentle voice: "Congratulations to Jiang Wenli! Congratulations to Hai Qing! I would also like to thank the prize-giving guests Zhang Guoli and Liu Shishi."

Amidst rousing music, the two actresses took to the stage, warmly embraced Zhang Guoli and Liu Shishi, accepted the gleaming Flying Goddess Award trophy, and then delivered their acceptance speeches.

Liu Shishi, having successfully completed her mission, returned to her seat and let out a long sigh of relief.

She was suddenly invited to go on stage without any prior preparation, and was very nervous on stage, with her palms sweating profusely.

"Master, did I do well just now? Was there anything inappropriate?"

"It's alright. Considering it was a rushed start, it's understandable. But you should still be more tactful. Saying you've only seen Jiang Wenli's plays makes the other nominees feel awkward. It makes it seem like none of them are as famous as Jiang Wenli."

Liu Shishi muttered aggrievedly, "But if I make things up, what if Zhang Guoli asks me about the details of the TV series? Wouldn't it be even more embarrassing if I couldn't answer?"

Li Xuejian chuckled: "Zhang Guoli is an old hand; he'll know when to stop. He'll need more practice and experience later on."

After Hai Qing and Jiang Wenli delivered their acceptance speeches, the stage was filled with singing and dancing, and the 28th Feitian Awards ceremony officially came to a close, with the audience slowly leaving the venue.

Backstage, Liu Shishi was trying to slip away quietly, avoiding the reporters, when Zhang Guoli called her back.

"Shishi, let me introduce you. This is my son, Zhang Mo." Zhang Guoli warmly introduced a young man beside him.

"Hello, Senior Brother Zhang Mo." The first sister subtly sized up Tong Yao's ex-boyfriend, noticing a deep weariness in his eyes and a slightly pale complexion.

Zhang Mo responded indifferently, "Hello, Teacher Liu."

Seeing Zhang Mo's nonchalant attitude, Zhang Guoli gave his son a subtle glare, signaling him to watch his words and attitude. Then he smiled at his sister, his expression subtly ingratiating.

"Shishi, my rascal has a real connection with Tengda Culture. He participated in two movies produced by Tengda Culture, 'Love is Not Blind' and 'Let the Bullets Fly'."

Liu Shishi didn't understand Zhang Guoli's intention in mentioning Tengda Culture, so she could only politely say, "Both of these movies are excellent works that have achieved both box office and critical success. Senior Brother Zhang Mo must have considerable acting skills to be able to participate in such a big production."

"Amo is indeed serious and hardworking when it comes to his work," Zhang Guoli praised his son, then asked affectionately, "Shishi, what do you think of Amo signing with Tengda Culture?"

The eldest sister immediately understood. Zhang Guoli had been beating around the bush for so long, but it turned out he was paving the way for his son: "Teacher Guoli, I never interfere in Tengda Culture's affairs. If Senior Brother Zhang Mo wants to sign with Tengda, you can contact Liu Rong."

"This!" Zhang Guoli did not expect Liu Shishi to refuse so decisively. In his mind, this was just a matter of a word from the chairman's wife.

His son, Zhang Mo, is now quite well-known, and with his father's support, joining Tengda is a win-win situation.

At this moment, Zhang Guoli was losing face, his expression no longer as gentle as before, and he replied curtly, "Sorry to bother you."

“Teacher Guoli, I really can’t get involved in Tengda’s affairs. My husband is averse to this. I can give you Liu Rong’s contact information. You can have a good talk with her.” Seeing Zhang Guoli’s displeasure, Liu Shishi shifted the blame to her husband.

Zhang Guoli's expression softened slightly: "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

After Liu Shishi left, Zhang Mo sneered, "Dad, what's the use of hiring a pretty face like her? She probably doesn't even have a say in the Song family. We still need her to give us Liu Rong's number."

Zhang Guoli immediately reprimanded, "Shut your stinking mouth. Can't you tell that's just her excuse? But as long as she has this attitude, that's fine. Once she sends me Liu Rong's contact information, I can take this opportunity to talk to Liu Rong."

Zhang Mo wasn't stupid; he understood his father's intention in an instant and gave him a thumbs up: "Dad, brilliant!"

(End of this chapter)